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Pienaar accepts creative burden

Steven Pienaar is happy to be seen as Everton's playmaker in the absence of Mikel Arteta.

By Chris Burton

Last Updated: 04/03/08 6:52pm

Steven Pienaar is happy to be seen as Everton's playmaker in the absence of Mikel Arteta.

The Spanish midfielder has been an influential presence for the Toffees this season, but has been forced to sit out the last two games with a niggling groin problem.

As a result, pressure has been put on the shoulders of South African winger Pienaar to provide the creative spark.

It is a responsibility which he is currently thriving on, and one which he has been forced to accept before with his previous clubs.

Comfortable

"Mikel is such a good player, and it says a lot about the team that we are doing so well without him," Pienaar told Everton's official website.

"With Mikel injured I have to take more responsibility with things like free-kicks and try to be even more creative.

"But I'm comfortable with that. I was one of the playmakers at Ajax and when I was in Germany (with Borussia Dortmund)."

Vital

With the club currently leading the race for fourth spot in the Premier League and safely through to the last 16 of the Uefa Cup, Pienaar admits that every game between now and the end of the season is going to be crucial.

"The next 10 league games are going to be vital to everyone at the club," he said.

"But the Uefa Cup is also important to us, so there is a lot to play for in every game.

Cup final

"But we are going into every game like it is a cup final anyway because we have to keep on getting results to qualify for the Champions League.

"We have to concentrate on winning each game, and if we do that we know it will be good enough.

"We are definitely up for the challenge."

Deal

With discussions ongoing to try and make Pienaar's loan move from Dortmund into a permanent deal, the winger also revealed that he hopes an agreement can be reached.

"I'm enjoying it here but we'll wait and see what happens at the end of the season," he said.

"For now I just want to concentrate on the games we've got left, playing my best for Everton and seeing what happens after that."